She Is Beautiful
by StoryMold
Summary: Terra and River spend a day in a field. Oneshot. FemslashYuri. NOTE: AToTT Spoilers inside don't read if you don't wanna find out what happens.


**Information: **TT isn't mine. River is. 'Nuff said.

**Summary:** Terra and River enjoy a day in a field. T/R.

**Dedicated to:** Chrissy, who will always be beautiful to me.

**Note:** Yeah, I know, i'm lazy and I need to update my other story, but I had this floating around on my harddrive and wanted to do something with it. xP So here's something to tide you over 'till I write a second chapter.

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**Terra's POV.**

She was beautiful.

It didn't take long for Terra to realize that. She had spent so much time keeping a watchful eye on River that it didn't bother her when her eyes moved from River's surroundings to the girl herself. Terra had long known that she was attached to her friend of many years, but now, she was beginning to doubt herself. Had she befriended River because she thought…. No, no, that couldn't be it. She was so young back then, so much more immature than she was now, and there was no way that her mind could've conjured up something like that at their first meeting. That's what Terra kept telling herself, anyways.

She was doing it again. Staring. Letting her eyes feast while she lost herself in her thoughts. Terra tore her eyes away from the younger brunette girl, rubbing her cheeks as she felt them burn. She really didn't mean to do it. It was embarrassing, and what would River think of her if she ever noticed?

Lost in the silence of her own mind, Terra stared past River, resuming her protective duties once more. There was no one after either of them anymore, not since Robin and the other Titans defeated Slade. But Terra wanted to be sure. She couldn't lose River again, not for a third time.

The first, of course, had been when Terra had left River behind during their orphanage escape. That one was the worst. The blonde girl was still miserable about it, and was constantly berating herself for her own foolishness, no matter how many times River soothed her and assured her that that's what she had wanted.

The second was when she herself had been encased in stone, after failing to save River and losing control of her own powers. Terra had spent ages inside her rocky prison, wanting to break free and see if she had stopped the lava flow in time to keep it from reaching Slade's prisons; and when she had been released by River's own hand, she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, though it was shortlived. Now her days were filled with trying to keep River from healing the world with her powers, which she would surely do if left unchecked.

Sometimes the brown-haired orphan scared Terra. She was so focused on keeping others safe, happy and healthy that she never spent time helping herself. She would never take care of the wounds she took from others; instead, she would simply sip bits of the potions stolen from the orphanage, then move on to help another wounded person. Terra would slip into River's room at night with a bag of medical supplies, and bandage the larger wounds she had received. It didn't help much, but, Terra told herself, at least then River didn't bleed all over herself and make it worse.

Every other moment, though, was filled with happiness and security. Terra and River got along well. Terra was sure that it was River's likeable personality that made them this way. Her friend was perky, always knowing the worst was to come, but expecting the best nonetheless. On most days, like today, the girls would head out to the field a few miles outside of town, and Terra would watch as River picked wildflowers and gazed at clouds. Theirs was a peaceful existence.

Terra liked the field for different reasons than River. She didn't admire the flowers, the overgrown grass, or the small creatures that roamed underneath their feet. No, what Terra enjoyed the most was the fact that, with such an open space, it would be hard for anyone to sneak up on them. Even the tall grass was not long enough to hide someone crawling beneath it. Terra's job of watching over River was easier that way. But, she also found that not having to be alert was letting her mind slip… elsewhere.

"Enjoying the scenery?" River asked, her voice shaking Terra from her silent thoughts. Terra smiled as her eyes flickered back towards her friend, and jammed one of her hands into her pants' pockets. Both of them wore long-sleeved shirts and pants, for although winter was half over, it was getting colder every day. Plus (River had said with a sage air about her the day after they first visited), the grass would irritate their legs if they didn't, and it would be much harder for tiny bugs and creatures and whatnot to bite them.

Terra had told her that no creature would get near them if they heard them coming, but was scared into trading her shorts for pants when a thick black snake slithered between the two as they were leaving the field that same day.

The blonde girl absently used her other hand to adjust the goggles on her forehead, then responded with a quiet "I suppose so".

"You never enjoy yourself on these outings." River said, pursing her lips and letting her hands (one filled with a flower wreath she had started that morning) fall to her sides. Terra snorted, sticking her other hand into her empty pocket and looking away from River. She wanted to scream; letting her thoughts drift elsewhere was not helping.

"Of course I do." Terra replied. River sighed, sloshing through the tall grass to her side.

_Don't look at her. Don't. You'll only blush and give yourself away.  
_  
"Why don't you come look at the clouds with me? There's lots of them out, I bet we could see loads of stuff." When River spoke, it sounded as if she was pleading. "Please, Terra?"

"I can't." Terra muttered. "I have to keep watch."

_Don't indulge. Don't turn your head. Not even a glance._

"There's nothing to fear anymore." River whispered, a hurt look on her face, though Terra couldn't see it. "You don't have to protect me. We're safe here, and Slade's gone, and no one from the orphanage…" She trailed off, staring down at the ground.

_Not even a quick look… She'd spot you._

"There are still plenty of baddies out there, River." Terra responded, clenching her fists in her pockets to keep from reaching out for her. "Any one of them could stumble upon this place, and y'know what they'd see? They'd see two girls having a great time, two girls that have powers that they could use, and they wouldn't give us any chance to fight back if they reached us."

"We can take care of ourselves. We helped defeat Slade, remember?" River rested her head against Terra's shoulder, fingering the flower wreath in her hands.

_Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. It's useless._

"If they split us up, you wouldn't be able to fight." Terra murmured, and River felt her shiver. "Then where would we be?"

"You'd come for me." River replied, with such assurance that it made Terra bite her lip. "You're strong, Terra. You'd beat them off and then come for me. I know you would."

_She can't be yours. You're friends. You're not… _

"Why are you crying?" River asked quietly, reaching up with one hand to brush a tear off Terra's cheek. Terra lifted one of her own to rub at her eyes, then forced a smile onto her face.

"It's nice out today. I'm glad we came."

_Don't._

"Terra, look at me." River whispered, and Terra couldn't help herself. She turned to look at River slowly, a fresh wave of tears falling down her cheeks. At the sight of River's face, Terra shuddered once more.

She really was beautiful, even with the stray scars she had picked up with her powers. Her hair was a beautiful dark brown, bordering on black, that always fell straight and had a tiny curl at the end. Her eyes were green, dark around the edges, then faded to light in the middle, and Terra would have liked nothing better at that moment than to lose herself in them, and forget that her body and mind were betraying her by wanting River so badly.

"Why won't you tell me? You know you can tell me anything." It was true. River had been Terra's sole confidant since they had met, and vice versa. But not this… Anything but this. This would ruin them. Terra owed it to River to tell her the truth, but if the truth made her leave, who would protect her then?

The tears in River's eyes made up Terra's mind. Taking a deep breath (and praying that River would understand), the Titan leaned towards River and kissed her.

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**River's POV.**

It was a beautiful day. The sky was filled with puffy white clouds, the field was covered in wildflowers, and Terra…

Well, Terra was keeping watch. Like always.

It always bothered River when Terra spent her time doing nothing when she could be having fun. River couldn't remember the last time she had seen Terra having fun, but she knew Terra hadn't spent any of her spare waking moments pleasing herself when she could be here. In the field. Watching, waiting, and always alert.

River longed to have Terra laying beside her, pointing out shapes in the clouds and sniffing flowers. She wanted the old Terra back, the one that goofed off with her and only protected her when there was some direct threat. She felt distant from this Terra. This Terra stood all day and _enjoyed_ not having fun. It was very troublesome.

River felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes traced the outline of Terra's face. The brunette had long since accepted the feelings she had for her best friend, and enjoyed catching glimpses of her. Never when she was looking; what would Terra think then? Sighing, River turned back to look at the flower wreath in her hands. A lock of hair fell across her face, and she idly lifted one hand to tuck it behind her ear, then let her fingers run along one of the few scars on her face. She remembered the shape of every one, and how she had gotten it.

The first was a scar that ran across the bridge of her nose. That was received when a fellow orphan, Wildcat, tripped and busted up her face on a protruding piece of sidewalk. River hadn't been strong enough to fix her broken nose, but the ugly cut was quickly taken and mended. It was the first wound she had ever healed on her own, and she was quite proud of it.

The second was a dagger shaped scar on the bottom of her left cheek. While searching for Terra, she had met a little boy in an alley that had been mugged. River's face was swollen for weeks, and the X of the boy's razor-cuts soon healed into a modest little scar.

The third was quite amusing to her. It was a tiny little scar to one side of her chin, almost invisible to the eye, but rugged underneath one's fingers. That one she had done to herself. It was a silent reminder to her that drawers were never to be opened at face-height.

The fourth and final was a long, straight scar that ran across her right cheek. It was the most recent. River burned inside as her fingers touched it. It had been inflicted by Slade himself, when River's protests against him not letting Terra visit had irritated him. A backslap by a man with pointed gloves was never something that could leave you unmarked.

River left off her musing to shoot another look at Terra. Her friend was staring off into the distance, her cheeks bright red. River bit her bottom lip, then stood, stepping a bit closer to Terra.

"Enjoying the scenery?" She spoke up, tilting her head curiously. She straightened up as Terra's eyes met hers, and they shot smiles at each other. River saw her pause, then lift one gloved hand to adjust the goggles on her forehead.

"I suppose so." Was the blonde's response.

"You never enjoy yourself on these outings." River grumbled, pursing her lips. Her arms fell to her sides, and her fingers loosened their grip on the flower wreath. Terra looked away, and River saw her cheeks grow bright once more.

"Of course I do." More bull. River knew Terra well enough to see that she was trying to hide something. She wasn't very good at it. Heart in her throat, River shifted her weight onto one foot.

"Why don't you come look at the clouds with me? There's lots of them out, I bet we could see loads of stuff." She could tell that she sounded desperate. She didn't care. "Please, Terra?"

"I can't. I have to keep watch." Terra replied. River was hurt. Terra knew there was nothing dangerous way out here. Why did she insist on always being so damned protective?

"There's nothing to fear anymore." She whimpered. "You don't have to protect me. We're safe here, and Slade's gone, and no one from the orphanage…" Well, none of them had made it out alive. The few that had left during her and Terra's first attempt at escaping were the only ones that survived.

"There are still plenty of baddies out there, River. Any one of them could stumble upon this place, and y'know what they'd see? They'd see two girls having a great time, two girls that have powers that they could use, and they wouldn't give us any chance to fight back if they reached us." Terra responded, and River saw the muscles in her arms tighten.

"We can take care of ourselves. We helped defeat Slade, remember?" River's head was swimming. She stepped closer to Terra and placed her head on her friend's shoulder. Her fingers ran across the edges of the flower petals in her wreath.

"If they split us up, you wouldn't be able to fight. Then where would we be?" River felt Terra shiver. The brunette blushed fiercely. It was cold out, but their winter clothes kept them warm. This shiver was different.

"You'd come for me." River replied, and she knew it was true. She saw Terra bite her lip. "You're strong, Terra. You'd beat them off and then come for me. I know you would."

And then there were tears. River was shocked. Was Terra afraid? Or… was it…

"Why are you crying?" She asked, brushing tears off Terra's face with her fingertips. She saw Terra force a smile.

"It's nice out today. I'm glad we came." Liar. That wasn't it.

"Terra, look at me." The brunette whispered, and watched Terra turn towards her. More tears. This was something big. Terra hardly ever cried. The tears running down Terra's cheeks weren't enough to spoil her good looks, and River was pleased to have a moment to stare into Terra's blue eyes.

"Why won't you tell me? You know you can tell me anything." There was nothing that River would hold back from Terra. Nothing save what she was feeling at that moment. The intense heat in her gut, the fact that her heart was once more in her throat, and the dizzy feeling she felt every time she and Terra were up close like this.

She saw something click in Terra's mind, and in mere moments, their lips were locked and River was on cloud nine.

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**Both Girls.**

Terra's hands made their way around River's waist, and River ran her tongue across the edges of Terra's lips, grinning as Terra uttered a muffled squeak of surprise. The blonde obviously wasn't expecting her affections to be returned so quickly, if at all. River placed one of her hands on Terra's, lifting the other to cup her love's chin and draw her closer. Terra pulled River up against her, and they lost each other in their passionate embrace.

As they pulled away, River nibbled on Terra's bottom lip, and it took every bit of resistance she had left to keep from pulling River into another kiss. But Terra had something to say, and she knew they'd have the rest of their time together to continue. Brushing her lips lightly against River's, Terra let River tuck her head underneath her chin, and shut her eyes.

"I love you, River." Terra whispered, and felt River squeeze her hand.

"I love you too, Terra." River responded quietly, and though Terra couldn't see it, she was smiling. It was, indeed, a beautiful day.


End file.
